The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson
by Angelwings23123
Summary: An AU account of young Daniel Jackson age 4how he meets the rest of SG1 and their adventures together.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Stargate and its characters do not belong to me--I'm only borrowing them.

The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson  
by angelwings

It all really began on the day that the Jackson's arrived in New York. It is important to note that the Jacksons very nearly didn't make it to New York on this day--as they missed their flight and the flight that they did manage to catch out was delayed not once but twice and very nearly detoured to another state entirely due to thunderstorms.

The Jackson's themselves were fairly ordinary at first glance. However they were far from ordinary. The young couple were both Doctors in archeology and had spent the majority of their lives traveling the world on archeological digs. Their son had spent all of his life on archeological digs and this was in fact his first visit to the States. His name was Daniel Jackson. He was smallish for his age with sunbleached blond hair, blue eyes bright with curiosity, and a perchance for languages. Though only four years old, young Daniel Jackson was fluent in almost five languages and familiar with many more. You see, young Daniel was a genius.

As the family made their way through the airport, young Daniel Jackson clung to his parents--wide eyes taking in this new atmosphere. New experiences usually made him very curious and excited. But for some reason he wasn't feeling at all excited today. You see, young Daniel was having an awful feeling of Something--and though he didn't know what the Something was, it made him uneasy. The crowd around him felt too loud and suffocating and he squeezed his eyes shut and wished he was back in Egypt. But when he opened them up again they were still there making their way through the crowd. Before he knew it his thumb had crept into his mouth. Then, a blast of cold air met him as they finally left the airport and he watched the rain come down in thick pounding streams as his parents tried to catch a cab to the hotel.

There were three things that Daniel Jackson would always remember about that first day--the crowds of people pushing, shoving and hurrying about, the sound of rain as it pounded on the pavement outside and streamed down the windows, and the fact that their checked luggage had been lost between airports.

It was the second day that he would remember in great detail.

Young Daniel Jackson awoke to chaos. He rubbed at his eyes as he watched his parents hurrying about. A glance at the clock told him that they had slept in. The alarm had not gone off and so his parents had to rush to get ready--as his father was to give a speech that day. And so, young Daniel climbed down off the bed and got dressed by himself in the clothes that his mother had laid out for him. After finally getting his arms in the correct holes and his shirt facing in the right direction, he climbed back on the bed. Swinging his feet as he sat on the edge of the bed, he watched as his parents finished getting ready. His mother laughed as she fixed his father's tie and gave him a peck on the cheek. He caught a whiff of his father's aftershave as he walked by to grab his jacket. His mother's perfume tickled his nose as she tied his shoelaces for him and reached out a hand to help him off the bed. As they walked out of the room Daniel heard the door behind them close with a resounding 'click'.

Young Daniel held on to both his parent's hands as they walked down the hotel stairs. Once in the lobby, his father scooped him up for a hug. After setting him down, he ruffled young Daniel's hair and they said their goodbyes. His father then left to make a quick phone call before leaving to give his speech. As young Daniel watched his father leave, he got an odd feeling all over and had in inexplicable urge to call his father back. But, he didn't for at that moment something had caught his attention. It was a tall, dark man wearing a ski cap and looking quite out of place in the hotel's lobby. There was something about the man that intrigued young Daniel, and so when a hotel employee hurried over to talk with his mother, young Daniel slipped away to investigate.

The man turned out to be even taller in person and young Daniel had to look quite a ways up in order to greet him. "Hello, my name is Daniel," he said in his carefully practiced English.  
The stranger glanced down at the small boy in front of him and raised one eyebrow, "It is a pleasure to meet you youngDaniel, I am called 'Murray'."  
As young Daniel opened his mouth to ask him a question, his mother hurried over looking frazzled.  
"There you are!" she said to Daniel, giving him a hug. She then turned to Murray and said, "I hope he wasn't bothering you."  
"He was not," Murray responded with a small bow of his head.  
She gave him a smile, and then turned back to her son, "Your father left part of his speech at the front desk and we have to catch him before he leaves without it."  
Her eyes widened as she glanced around the lobby--spotting her husband heading for the doorway.  
She bit her lip as turned back to look at Daniel and Murray. Making a quick decision, she addressed Murray, "Could you keep an eye on him until I get back?"

There are moments in our lives, just moments when everything is changed forever. One moment everything is just as it always was and the next...nothing will ever be the same again. Most people are unaware of when these moments are about to occur. And in fact, one of these moments was about to occur to young Daniel Jackson. And though there was no way that he could have known what was about to happen there must have been something, some inkling that made him hug his mother just a little bit tighter and look at her just a little bit longer as she told him that she loved him and touched his hair oh so softly. And something also must have made his mother glance back and meet his eyes before walking out of that hotel door. For, that was the last time young Daniel ever saw his mother.

When asked later how he knew that the commotion outside had to do with his parents, he said he didn't know...He just knew that when he heard that screech of tires and the awful crash ...his heart clenched and something inside him told him that nothing would ever be the same again. And as he stared at that awful doorway with people running in and out of it, he clutched at Murray's hand and wondered what would become of him now.

The world around young Daniel Jackson seemed to fade away until all that was left was the glass doorway swinging open and shut. Open and shut. He didn't know how long he stood staring there, but suddenly it all came back in a rush. The room seemed too noisy and suffocating and it took him awhile to distinguish the different sounds. It took him even longer to understand what was being said as for some reason he was having a hard time interpreting the English words that were flying around him. Then, someone walked by and he heard with absolute clarity through the buzz of voices in the background that single voice saying something which he really wished he hadn't heard. 'Both the Jacksons had died instantly.'

That single sentence echoed in his head and was all that young Daniel could think about. He blinked back tears as he tried to convince himself that it couldn't possibly be true. He knew what it meant--to say that they had died. The mummies in the pyramids had died long ago...old Mr. Rylan had died at the market...people that were very ill died... But not his parents. It didn't apply to--couldn't possibly apply to his parents. They weren't really... He had just seen them only moments before and they were perfectly fine. Healthy. Any moment now they would walk through that doorway and explain that it had all been a mistake. Any moment now...

But young Daniel Jackson's parents did not come walking through that doorway. And so, it was that that day changed Daniel Jackson's life forever. Not only because of the accident, but also because of Murray--who young Daniel's hand still clung to like a life line. For 'Murray' was not really a 'Murray' at all...


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry it took so long to get out and is so very short.

The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson: chapter 2

The next thing that young Daniel remembered was opening his eyes in a strange hotel room. He was lying on a bed and there were three people arguing nearby. He recognized one of them as Murray but didn't know the man and woman who were with him. All three had their backs to him and were trying their best to be quiet. However, they weren't doing a very good job of it and young Daniel soon realized with a jolt that they were talking about him.

"You can't be serious, you don't even know..."  
"I am quite serious O'Neill, I gave my pledge to..."  
"To watch him for a few minutes not..."  
"YoungDaniel is under my care and protection, I gave his Mother my word..."  
"For crying out loud!"  
"Teal'c, I now that you feel strongly about this but you can't just take in a child-- there are procedures..."  
"Then I shall go through these 'procedures'."  
"It's not that simple..."

As he listened, Daniel slowly sat up in bed. He popped his thumb into his mouth and his eyes started to glisten. For, though young Daniel hadn't known Murray very long he felt a strong connection to him and wanted very much to be able to stay with him.

Then, dark eyes met his and young Daniel felt himself being scooped up into strong arms.  
"You have upset him," Murray said turning an accusing eye to his companions.  
"We..."  
He silenced them with a look, saying simply: "Do what must be done. YoungDaniel will stay in my care."  
"But..."  
"There will be no more arguments."

Years later, Daniel wouldn't remember the exact details of the argument he overheard. He would, however, remember how Murray never hesitated once about taking him in. He also would remember how safe he felt in those strong arms as they held him as if he was already his own son.

The details of how exactly it was done are still not clear, however this is known for certain: that very afternoon Murray gained custody of young Daniel Jackson and the paperwork to be allowed to take young Daniel out of state was already in the works.

That evening as Murray carried him down to dinner, young Daniel took the moment to study their two companions. The woman had short blond hair and blue eyes. She seemed nice and Daniel ducked his head shyly as she smiled back at him. Murray had called her 'Sam' and Daniel thought that the name suited her. She had tried talking to him several times already, but Daniel didn't feel much like talking at the moment. Instead he shifted his gaze to the man walking a bit ahead of them. 'Jack' had brown hair with flecks of gray in it and brown eyes. He didn't seem very happy about something and young Daniel bit his lower lip as he worried that perhaps the something that Jack wasn't happy about was him.

At dinner, Murray told him that they were going to go to a place called 'Colorado'. Sam said that she was sure that he would like it there. Daniel wondered if it was at all like Egypt. He missed the familiar sand dunes desperately and would have given anything to be back there with his mom and dad--sitting in a tent and listening as they told about their latest dig finds.

Young Daniel squeezed his eyes shut and wished with all his might. He held his breath as he slowly opened his eyes. His breath whooshed out softly as his eyes took in his three companions chatting quietly as they ate. Quickly he looked down at his plate as tears prickled his eyes. As he toyed with the food on his plate he decided that it didn't matter what Colorado was like as long as it wasn't anything like New York. He hated New York and everything about it and wanted to be as far away from this awful city as he could get.

When dinner was over, young Daniel found himself once again being carried up to their hotel room. As he laid his head against Murray's shoulder he reassured himself that Colorado couldn't be all that bad--after all, Murray was from Colorado…

However, Murray was not from Colorado--or anywhere there abouts--though young Daniel could not possibly know that yet. In fact, it wasn't until they were in Colorado that young Daniel realized that there was something not quite normal about Murray. That realization would not only turn his world upside down but it would also lead to a discovery that he couldn't even begin to imagine...

Note: Yes, there is a reason why young Daniel's paperwork went through so fast--however we won't find out the reason for a least a couple of more chapters yet.

Any and all feedback appreciated.

Thank you to all who reviewed: Shadowbolt the Demon, FallenTruth, Fhulhi the Crazy, Aussie Munchkin, Temptest in Blue, TwIsTeD AnGeL925, Amura, and CaliaDragon. Thanks to all:)

Demonwings2421: Thank you so much for the review! I didn't think you were being rude at all. I'm sorry that this chapter isn't as good as the first one and is so short. (stupid writers block!)


	3. Chapter 3

Well, this chapter was supposed to be about young Daniel's trip to Colorado...but my muse (who it appears is finally back from vacation) had other ideas. This chapter is written slightly differently. A bit depressing. Tissue warning. 

The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson: Chapter 3

The next few days went by in a blur. Young Daniel knew that he must have gotten up during those days, brushed his teeth, changed his clothes, eaten some food...but he didn't really remember all that... Then, one day he woke up and there were his clothes for the day laying on his bed. Black pants. Black shirt. Black jacket. Black socks. Black shoes. And he knew. In not all countries was the color of mourning black, but as young Daniel got dressed that morning--pulling the dark shirt on over his head, he felt that black fit perfectly.

Black like a dark pit that you fell into and couldn't get out of. Where people walk by in their brightly colored clothes not even noticing your distress. Black like a darkness so deep that you didn't even know where you were or what you were doing. Dark like the night sky without any stars to light the way... Yes, young Daniel thought that the color black suited this day perfectly.

Murray was a dark solid presence next to him as they walked toward the hotel doors. Young Daniel squeezed his eyes shut as they walked through--half fearing that that awful doorway would claim Murray too. A drop fell on his head and he realized that it was raining.

Raining like it had been the day that they had arrived. Pouring down in loud pounding streams. In the dessert rain was something to celebrate...but not here. At this moment young Daniel knew with uptmost certainty that he would always hate the rain. Though he did feel that it suited today. As if the skys had opened up and the gods themselves were weeping...

They had umbrellas at the cemetery. Dark black umbrellas. Blocking out the wetness of the rain but not the sound of it. The rain continued to pound down blending out the sound of the priest talking...

And the people there--young Daniel by far the smallest among them. All gathered close in their dark clothing under the dark umbrellas. Black and silent. With the gray rain pounding down around them. Vague gray shapes surrounding them everywhere. The ground dark and muddy beneath their feet. Not a speck of brightness anywhere...

And all that young Daniel could do was stare at those two identical dark pits in front of him. They seemed to go down a very long ways. He felt as if he might fall down into that terrible maw and his breath came out in ragged gasps.

His parents were down there--trapped in two identical wooden boxes. And they were never coming out. And he would never see them again. And he would never go home. He was trapped here in this place. With the rain that never stopped pounding. And the too many strangers that hurried past--never even glancing his way. As if he didn't even exist to them. Where all the buildings were much too tall and close together. And the ground was hard and unyielding beneath his feet. Where no one even seemed to notice when two people...his parents...his whole world...disappeared...

Young Daniel stared into those two identical dark holes and watched through tear-blurred eyes as dirt was thrown on top of those shiny wooden boxes...until you couldn't even see them any more...

Any one at the Jackson's funeral that day could tell you how very small and fragile young Daniel Jackson looked gazing sightlessly at his parents' graves--the tall dark stranger with his strong hand on Daniel's shoulder standing silently at his side. Some wondered if young Daniel Jackson even really realized what was going on--as he was so very young...

But, young Daniel Jackson did realize. In fact he realized all too well. He realized that a part of his life was now over--a part that he would never ever get back again. For he had left behind a part of his childhood--a part of his innocence--buried in the dirt of his parents' graves...and he would never be able to get that part back just as he would never get his parents back... That day Young Daniel Jackson began the slow process of growing up. And from that day on his life would never be the same again.

Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

I know, I know--I haven't updated in forever! Please forgive the lateness of this chapter. I'll give you a cookie! Chocolate--with walnuts!

Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson: Chapter 4

It was two days after his parents' funeral and young Daniel Jackson didn't know what to feel--for today he was leaving. He was leaving this hotel and this city. To fly to a place that he had never been to or even heard of with people he barely knew.

A part of him was happy to leave. He hated this city and everything about it. It seemed to always rain here--casting the streets in a dull gray color. There were too many people. Too many buildings. No one smiled or called out to him like the people did back home. They were all strangers here who didn't even care to know him. They acted as if he didn't exist just because he was small. Back home he knew everyone and everyone knew him. They listened when he talked and were always happy to answer his questions.

Not that he talked to anyone here. Not since it happened. He just hadn't really felt much like talking. Which was odd for him as he had often heard many exclaim in wonder how so many words could come from one so small...

Young Daniel Jackson thought he would not miss this hotel. With the doorway that he still refused to look at. In fact, every time he had to go through it he held his breath and squeezed shut his eyes--afraid of what may happen there. A part of him knew that logically the doorway had nothing to do with what had happened... However, Daniel was just 4-years-old. And his four-year-old mind blamed the doorway. For hadn't his parents been perfectly fine before they had walked through it and disappeared forever?

Surprisingly, a part of him also did not want to leave the hotel. After all, the last place he had seen his parents was here. Their hotel room still smelled faintly of his mother's perfume and his father's aftershave when he had stepped in it the other day to gather the rest of his things. He had closed his eyes and just breathed in that smell that was so familiar and imagined them standing there with him. But when he opened his eyes they were gone.

Murray had helped him pack away their things and told him that he would be able to keep them if he wished. And Young Daniel did so desperately want to keep them--for they were his parents' and held so many memories. Everything in that room reminded him of his parents...

In fact, years later Daniel Jackson still recalled every detail of that hotel room. For he had memorized it as he had slowly packed away his parents' things--saying goodbye to them one last time. He remembered Murray standing there beside him allowing him to take as much time as he needed--instinctively knowing that this type of thing could not be rushed. And once he had thought about it, he also faintly recalled thinking that the room looked different than his parents had left it--in fact a part of him was sure that some things were out of place and that a few were maybe even missing...

Yes, the hotel held many memories for young Daniel Jackson and he was a bit afraid to leave it... For Daniel still had the faint hope that there had to have been some mistake. That his parents would come walking back in and apologize for scaring him so. Or perhaps he would wake-up and find that this had all been a dream--a horrible, horrible nightmare... And his mother would rock him and wipe away his tears and his father would rub his back and assure him that they would never ever really leave him...

But deep down young Daniel Jackson knew that this wasn't a dream. His parents were gone and weren't ever coming back. But he had Murray now. And they were going to Colorado. And perhaps things would be a bit better there...

When the time finally came for them to leave, young Daniel was so overcome with fear at leaving behind all that he knew that he clung fiercely to Murray and buried his head in his shoulder. He must have fallen asleep for the next thing that he knew he was on a plane.

It was a different sort of plane then he and his parents had been on. For one thing, there were only four people on it: Murray, Sam, Jack, and himself. He puzzled over that fact and then decided that he was a bit glad that there wasn't anyone else there. He then turned his attention to the other occupants. Murray was gazing silently out a window, Sam had fallen asleep, and Jack... Jack didn't look happy.

Jack never looked happy when he was with them. Daniel worried his bottom lip as he wondered what exactly it was about him that Jack didn't like--had he perhaps insulted him by accident? Looking at Jack, Daniel decided that he couldn't bare seeing him look at him like that one minute longer without even knowing the reason why. So, he took a deep breath, carefully chose his words, and blurted out before he could change his mind, "Why do you not like me?" And braced himself for the answer.

At his words three sets of startled eyes turned in his direction. For though he hadn't realize it, those were the first words that young Daniel had uttered since his parents had died.

But Daniel's full attention was on Jack--his eyes wide and pleading to know what exactly it was that he had done wrong.

Faced with that gaze, anyone would have had trouble responding and indeed Jack opened and closed his mouth several times as he unsuccessfully tried to speak till he finally managed to choke out,

"It's not that I don't like you...it's just that...well...you see...none of us should really be...T--...I mean 'Murray' especially shouldn't..." With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and said, "Look--it's nothing personal, but none of us are really in the position to be raising a kid, and with Murray there's these," he gestured with his hands, "...complications...You'd be much better off with some family--you know: mom, dad, dog, picket fence...the whole deal..."

"I don't want that--I want Murray," young Daniel responded simply.

"I concur--youngDaniel will stay with me," said Murray as he moved up beside Daniel, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You don't even have a house!"

"I have already arranged to procure a house, O'Neill."

"How about the fact that you're not exactly from around here?"

"I do not perceive that as a problem."

"Not a...not a problem," Jack exclaimed in disbelief, "how do you not see that as a problem?"

"I have raised a son before, O'Neill," Murray reminded him.

"Yeah, but this...this is different!"

"I do not see a difference."

"Well, I do!"

Murray studied him calmly for a moment before responding, "I have received permission to speak to youngDaniel about my heritage."

"How the hel- heck did you get permission to do that! That's classified information--he's 4-years-old for cryingoutloud!"

"And he is now my son. Even if I had not received permission, I would have told him. It would be impossible to keep such secrets, and Youngdaniel has a right to know his heritage." He set his piercing gaze on Jack. "As I have said before: there will be no more arguments."

"But..."

Murray interrupted, "You have upset my son--you will apologize."

Young Daniel sat quietly taking in all that was said. His mind raced and as he tried to process what he had heard. Jack wasn't mad at him--instead he was mad at... Daniel wasn't really sure--the situation maybe? And Murray wanted him to stay with him. And Jack thought that was a problem because of Murray's heritage?

Daniel puzzled over that for moment. He had thought there was something about Murray that set him apart from the people around him. In fact, that was what had drawn him to Murray in the first place. But he couldn't quite put his finger on what was so different about him...

But the one thing young Daniel's mind focused on was the fact that Murray had called him his son. And he had liked that. However, Daniel worried that perhaps his parents wouldn't have liked for someone else to claim him as their son. Perhaps they would be mad that a part of Daniel wanted to be Murray's son. After all, they hadn't been gone that long and he didn't want them to think that he had forgotten them already or was perhaps trying to replace them. Because he hadn't forgotten them and didn't think they could ever be replaced... But, he couldn't deny that he had liked it when Murray had called him his son.

As young Daniel sat quietly pondering the plane drew ever closer to their destination. And ever closer to a revelation that he could never have suspected. For he would soon know what Jack had meant when he said that Murray 'wasn't exactly from around here'...

Any and all feedback welcome--please review!

A big thank you to all that have reviewed the past chapters:

Jei-El, Nyx Ro, LilPK, Jeanny, DaughterofDeath, Kinaua, Fox Behind the Mask, Altharus, Shadowbolt the Demon, kahless21, mcgirl, MuseUrania, pollyped, Jade, dark vampire, mab, Fhulhi the Crazy, EmmyH, ednyadove, demonwings2421, Death tator... Thank you, thank you, thank you---and sorry for keeping you waiting.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm **Very** sorry this took so long to post. I honestly didn't realize it had been so long since my last update. Thank you all for being so patient! If it ever takes so long again, please someone email me and let me know that you're waiting for the next update. I am unfortunatly very easily distracted--so just wave me back in the direction of this fic and I'll make some time to work on it.

The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson: Chapter 5

At the airport they were met by a man who ushered them into a car and drove them all to Murray's new house. The driver had offered to drop Jack and Sam off at their houses but both had refused. No one talked on the ride over. Jack and Murray were still convinced that they each themselves were in the right and that the other was irrevocably in the wrong--but would hopefully see reason soon. Sam refused to take a side and wished the two would knock it off--if nothing else than at least for Daniel's sake. Unfortunately, that didn't seem likely to happen anytime soon.

Young Daniel Jackson was scared, excited, worried, curious, sad, hopeful...and about a million other emotions too. They were in Colorado. It was really happening. He was going to move in with Murray. His parents were gone and he would never ever see them again. Their bodies had been given back to the earth as dust--their spirits to the sky as stars. Daniel closed his eyes as he recalled what he had been told happened to a person when they died. It had been months and months ago when Daniel had seen people gathered around a sleeping Mr. Rylan in the marketplace. Except he hadn't been sleeping. At the time young Daniel couldn't understand why he didn't just wake-up and tell him stories like always. Miss Carmen--Mr. Rylan's niece had sat him down and gently explained to him about what she believed happens when a person dies. He remembered looking up at the sky that night--trying to see if he could pick out a new star. Daniel wondered if his parents were stars now too and if they could see him from way up there. He desperately hoped that they didn't mind him coming to Colorado to live with Murray. And he hoped they knew that he would never ever forget them.

Daniel was startled out of his thoughts when the car came to a stop. He blinked and studied the house in front of him. It wasn't a very large house--not compared to the ones around it at least. Though, to Daniel it seemed very big indeed. It was a one story house with faded blue paint, a cheery little garden in the front, and a rather large tree in the back. The whole of it was surrounded by a fence that opened from a wrought iron gate in the front. Daniel took a deep breath as the four of them stepped through.

The inside was rather bare with just the basics and the assumption that they would pick out whatever else they needed themselves. Daniel was curious to explore his new home--but much to his surprise, Murray led him to the seat in the living room and told him that there was something of great importance that he must tell him. Young Daniel's heart raced as he worried that perhaps Murray had changed his mind--maybe he didn't want him anymore...maybe he was going to send him away...

As Daniel worked himself up to a panic attack, Jack turned to Murray with a frown and said, "Are you sure you want to..." He trailed off as Murray sent a glare his way. He put his hand up and backed off, though his face still showed his disapproval.

Jack and Sam stood silently in the doorway as Murray knelt down in front of Daniel and solemnly removed his hat. Daniel gasped as the gold emblem was revealed and tentatively reached out his hand to touch it. As young Daniel traced the mark with his fingers, Murray revealed that his true name was Teal'c and softly told the small boy about his heritage...

Years later, Daniel would recall with awe how calmly Teal'c spoke of his past, how patiently he had answered Daniel's questions, and how honored he was that Teal'c had trusted him with that information so soon after taking him in.

"Does it hurt?" Daniel asked quietly as Teal'c showed him his symbiote.  
"It does not," he reassured and then went on to explain the importance of keeping everything he had just told him a secret. Daniel nodded that he understood and solemnly vowed that he wouldn't tell anyone ever. After all, Daniel knew the importance of keeping secrets.

After dinner that night, Daniel watched as Murray--no Teal'c he reminded himself--pulled Jack aside for a private chat. Sam saw how his eyes were watching the two worrily and led him out the sliding glass door and onto the back porch. There she quietly pointed out the different constellations--explaining the names behind them. Normally, Daniel would have found this very interesting and would have peppered her with many questions. But he couldn't seem to be able to concentrate on what she was saying. Instead he found himself staring at the stars and wondering if his parents were up there watching him. Could they see him he wondered? Did they know about Mur--Teal'c? Did they even know that he was here in Colorado? Daniel's eyes widened as he worried that perhaps his parents were looking for him in New York and couldn't find him. Colorado was a very long way from New York. He bit his lower lip and scooted closer to Sam. What if his parents didn't think to look for him here? Daniel leaned back against Sam who hadn't yet noticed his inner turmoil. He faintly registered her telling him something about Copernicus. His mom had told him about that one once. He sniffed.  
"Sam?" he tentatively asked.  
"Yes Daniel?"  
"I miss my mommy," he said in a very small voice as his eyes filled with tears.  
"Oh, Daniel," Sam whispered as she gathered him into a hug.  
Daniel clung desperately to her as he sobbed into her shoulder.

Young Daniel didn't know how long they sat there--with Sam running her fingers through his hair as she quietly whispered reassurances to him, but he was very glad that she was there. The crying had tired him out and he blinked his now dry and scratchy eyes sleepily as he lay still in Sam's arms--his head resting on her shoulder.

Colorado was very different than New York--while in New York all you could hear was noise--here it was so quiet you could hear crickets chirping. Young Daniel found that he liked this much better. The sky seemed much bigger here too--though not quite as big as it seemed back home. Though he supposed that this was home now and not Egypt. Strangely, that thought didn't seem to bother him as much as he thought it would...

Daniel awoke to sunlight streaming down on his face. Disoriented, he sat up and rubbed at his eyes as he realized that he was now in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. It was very quiet and he was quite alone. After climbing off the bed he made his way to the doorway fearing that perhaps everyone had left him. Quickening his step he made his way into the living room where he very nearly ran straight into Teal'c.

"Good morning, youngDaniel," he greeted with a tilt of his head and a slight upturning of the corners of his mouth.

Daniel blinked in surprise from where he had stopped short just inside the living room. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized that Teal'c hadn't left him after all. "O'Neill and CaptainCarter will be accompanying us on an exertion to 'the mall' today," Teal'c explained as he led him to the kitchen table where they then breakfasted on bowls of fruitloops.

The mall was like nothing young Daniel had ever seen before. It was crowded but not in the familiar way that the marketplace was. It was also loud and bright and confusing. While Daniel had started out holding tight to Teal'c's hand, he was now being carried securely in Teal'c arms--his thumb planted firmly in his mouth and his eyes opened wide. He decided that the mall was a bit scary and wasn't at all sure he liked it.

"How about we try in there next!" Jack pointed to a colorful toy store that had a miniature carnival moving in the window accompanied by various motorized circus animals doing flips.  
But Daniel was focused on a different store. This one had a huge dinosaur skeleton in the center and large fossil-filled rocks in the window. He twisted in Teal'c's arms to get a better look and a surprised gasp escaped his lips as he spotted a life-sized replica of a sarcophagus and miniature pyramids and pharos.  
"I believe youngDaniel would like to go in that store," Teal'c commented as he put the now squirming Daniel down who then promptly grabbed both Teal'c and Sam by the hand and practically dragged them through the entrance to the store.

At first, Daniel held tight to their hands and his wide eyes took in shelf after shelf of the store's treasures. Then, his curiosity got the better of him and he let go so that he could examine things more closely. He didn't even notice the store clerk anxiously keeping a close eye on him. Though, the clerk soon realized that he had nothing to worry about as Daniel was very careful as he picked up each item on the shelf, turned it slowly around to examine it, and then placed it gently back in its spot.

Two hours later, a delighted Daniel clutched a bag to his chest and happily waved goodbye to the clerk as Teal'c placed a guiding hand on his back, Sam grinned widely, and Jack shook his head in bemusement.

However, by the end of the day things were not going quite so well. Daniel was tired and cranky--as he had missed his nap--and unfortunately they had inadvertently left clothing shopping for last. Needless to say, Daniel was not in the mood to try things on or even to pick them out. A frustrating half an hour later, he was once again in Teal'c arms and grumpily buried his face in Teal'c's shoulder as Sam held up yet another "cute" outfit.

Teal'c suggested, "Perhaps we should come back at another time." Though he did not sound as if he actually wanted to try this again--ever.  
"Oh, no," Jack said, "We are NOT doing this again...let's just throw a few things in the cart and call it a day!"  
Jack was not in a good mood at this point as he had been kicked in a rather unfortunate spot while attempting to try a pair of shoes on Daniel's uncooperating feet. Looks passed between Sam, Jack, and Teal'c. At this point, Daniel was half asleep, nodding off on Teal'c's shoulder. They all quickly agreed to Jack's plan and thus ended young Daniel's first ever trip to the mall.

Once in the car, young Daniel was finally able to drift off to sleep. And as he slumbered he dreamed of pyramids and sand and adventures. Little did he know that one day he would go on adventures beyond anything he could have possibly imagined...

Any and all feedback welcome--please review!

A big thank you to all that have reviewed:  
Alec Star, MuseUrania, Nyx Ro, Fhulhi the Crazy, Shadowbolt the Demon, Wildnight, Jei-El


	6. Chapter 6

The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson: Chapter 6

The next morning as young Daniel set his cereal bowl on the counter he noticed something quite startling. It was so startling in fact that he very nearly dropped his bowl. Setting the bowl carefully on the counter and taking several deep breaths, Daniel stared transfixed at the object in front of him. It was a calendar.

It wasn't the calendar itself that was startling. It was in fact a fairly ordinary calendar that showed a mountain landscape. The days were outlined in thick black lines--the numbers large and bold; the month name even larger. It was in fact those letters and numbers that had Daniel so upset. The month was July, and the day...the day couldn't possibly be what the calendar showed. However, the paper on the counter confirmed it. Today was the 12th of July.

With a shaking hand Daniel counted back the days: one...two...three...four. Four days. He had been five for four whole days and hadn't even realized it. Staring at the calendar in disbelief, Daniel wondered how he could have possibly missed his birthday. Then, it hit him.

His birthday had been four days ago. Four days ago. He gripped the counter tightly, his knuckles turning white. He suddenly felt much older than five. In fact, four seemed so very far away. He had been so happy when he was four. Before that day. IT hadn't happened on that day--he had in fact still been four when IT had happened... But that was the day when everything became so real. When he knew that there hadn't been some sort of mistake--when he knew that they weren't coming back. Blinking back tears, he thought of how very unfair it was--how very wrong. There should be some kind of law against it. There shouldn't be funerals on kids' birthdays. Especially not... Especially not their own parents'. A sob escaped his throat, his grip on the counter the only thing keeping him upright.

And that was how Teal'c found him when he walked in mere seconds later. However, Daniel didn't even notice his presence until he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. At that, Daniel turned swiftly around and clung to Teal'c like a lifeline while he cried until he finally fell into an exhausted sleep.

When he woke-up, Teal'c asked him why he was so upset.  
"I'm five," was the quiet reply.  
"I do not understand."  
"I missed my birthday--I'm five now."  
"I am sorry we missed your birthday celebration, youngDaniel. I could arrange..."  
"I don't want a party."  
"It is your decision."  
Daniel didn't reply he just rested his head on Teal'c's shoulder with a soft sigh. He really didn't want a party. In fact, he didn't think his birthday would ever be the same again...

And indeed years later, Daniel Jackson would confess that every birthday after that felt irrevocably tainted. It didn't matter how many good things would later happen on that day or even how many bad things would happen--to him it would always be the day that his parents were buried. For after his fifth birthday it was no longer simply the day that he was born; it was also the day that a part of him had died. And that was something that not even time could erase.

Later that evening, there was a knock on the door. It was Jack and he wasn't alone.  
"Every kid should have a dog," he explained as he placed a wiggling bundle into Daniel's arms. The puppy was a fluffy brown mutt with a small pink tongue that he immediately began licking Daniel's nose with.  
Daniel tightened his grip and whispered, "thank you."

While Teal'c pulled Jack aside to talk about what had happened that morning, Daniel examined the dog. He had never had a dog of his own before. The puppy yipped and he decided that it--no she-- needed a name. The events of that morning were still heavy on his mind as he carefully considered names: Isis, Neith, Nephthys, Sothis, and Nut.

Isis, Neith, and Nephythes were protector goddesses and divine mourners and the names that he thought of first. Sothis was a goddess that was commonly referred to as the dog-star Sirius. Nut--whose name meant night, was the goddess of the sky. Shaking morbid thoughts from his head, Daniel decided to call the puppy either Sothis or Nut. If the dog had been a boy, he would have definitely called it Chons (the god of light in the night who aided in healing). Finally, he decided on the name Sothis.

"Hello, Sothis," he whispered as the dog sniffed at his hair.  
"I've never had a dog before and I bet you never had a boy before either--we can learn together," he explained as he patted him. "We're going to be great friends, Sothis--I just know it."

When Jack and Teal'c returned they found a giggling Daniel playing with his puppy on the carpet. "Well, it seems like he got over it," Jack commented watching the two.  
"Indeed."  
Teal'c turned from where he had been watching his young charge to face Jack and solemnly said:  
"I would like to thank you for the gift that you have bestowed on YoungDaniel--I am most indebted."  
"Don't mention it, glad I could help," Jack waved him off as he headed over to kneel beside the two on the carpet.

"So," he grinned, "What did ya name him?"  
"Her."  
"Sorry, her."  
"Sothis."  
"Sothis?" Jack raised his eyebrows.  
"Sothis," Daniel nodded.  
"I take it you like her?"  
Another nod...and a smile.

After dinner, Jack took Daniel in the backyard to play fetch with the dog.  
"So, why 'Sothis?"  
Daniel looked up at him inquiringly.  
"Why'd you chose that name--why not Rover or Spot or Bob?"  
"Bob?"  
"What's wrong with Bob?"  
"She's a girl, Mr. O'Neill."  
"Call me Jack...so...why Sothis?"  
"I like stars."  
"Oookaaay," Jack said puzzled by the change in subject.  
"Sooo, ya ever have a dog before?"  
Daniel shook his head.  
"First dog, huh? Well, I am honored to be the one to give you your first one. I got my first dog when I was about your age--named him Bear, 'cause that's what he looked like."  
"He looked like a bear?"  
"Yep, he was HUGE. Grew to be 10 feet tall."  
"Dogs don't get that big."  
"Mine did."  
"I don't think so."  
"His feet were the size of boulders."  
"Nuh uh."  
"Yuh huh. His ears were as big as you are. Had to lift 'em up to talk to him. Nearly got lost that way once. Took my family hours to figure out what had happened. They finally went to ask Bear if he had seen me and found me pinned behind his left ear."  
"Jaaack!"  
"What? you don't believe me?"  
Daniel shook his head, giggling.  
"Well, I may have exaggerated just a tiny bit."  
"A tiny bit?"  
"Okay, more than a tiny bit...but he was really big."

When they got tired of playing fetch, the two sat on the porch together. "So, you like stars, huh? How about we check out some stars while T's in there finishing his kelnor whatsit?"  
"Kel'no'reem," Daniel corrected, "It's a form of med-i-ta-tion."  
"Ah," Jack replied and pointed to a group of stars.  
"Well, see that group of stars over there? That is the big dipper and just below it is..."  
"I know, Sam showed me."  
"Oh she did, did she?"  
"Uh huh...where is Sam?"  
"She had to work."  
"Where does she work at?"  
"The same place T and I work--Cheyenne Mountain."  
"What does she do there?"  
"She's a scientist--she does science-y stuff."  
"Like what?"  
"Like...," Jack searched for something to say that wasn't classified. "Hey look--a shooting star!"  
"That's not a shooting star, Jack--that's an airplane...Does she work with aliens?"  
"What?"  
"Well, Teal'c's an alien and he works there."  
"Daniel! I thought Teal'c told you that that was a secret!"  
"He did. But you already know."  
"Yes, but we can't talk about it in public, Danny."  
"My name's Daniel. And this isn't 'in public'."  
"Hey look--another shooting star!"  
"That's an airplane...the same one in fact."  
"How do you know it's the same one?"  
"It's the same one."  
"But how do you know, it could be a different one?"  
"No, it's not."  
"Well then how do you know it's an airplane?"  
"Because of the way the lights are...and you didn't answer my question."  
"What question? I don't remember any question. It was about stars wasn't it--you wanted to know what that group over there was called..."  
"That's Orion's Belt. And I asked if Sam worked with aliens--besides Teal'c I mean."  
"How about we go see if Teal'c's done with his Kel'no'reeming?"  
"You're avoiding my question."  
"Who me?"

Young Daniel never did get his question answered that night. But as he settled down to sleep with Sothis cuddled up beside him he decided that it didn't really matter. After all, he could always ask his question again another day--or perhaps he would just ask Sam herself. Or maybe Teal'c would even let him come to work with him one day. And that, he thought as he drifted off to sleep, would be very exciting indeed.

--------------------  
How did you like the interaction btw Jack and Daniel?  
Anything you would like to see in later chapters?  
Any and all feedback appreciated!

Thank you to all who reviewed!  
**Sarahtynan**: At first I was going to make Jack his guardian, but my muse insisted that I think of someone else because Jack is always the guardian. I haven't seen many fics with Teal'c in that role, so I decided to give it a try.  
**Kynight**: Where am I going with this? You'll just have to wait and see. (I'm not entirely sure myself. I'm writing this as I go and have a vague idea of what I want to happen)  
**Mage Ren**: Thank you, for more little Daniel stories join DJsSG-1Lverse group on Yahoo!Groups.  
**MuseUrania**: Thank you for the feedback, I wasn't really sure about the star part.  
**JennMel**: I tryed to stop using 'young' so much in this chapter, how did I do?  
**Nyx Ro**: I knew 'Pharos'didn't look right! For some reason my spell checker has 'Pharos' in the dictonary but not 'Pharoahs'. Thanks for the help! )  
**The bug, Flo, Harm Marie, Kinaua, Kahless21**: Thank you.

Egyptian names and meanings found on 'Devoted to Daniel': Egyptian Enthusiasm page and Wikipedia


	7. Chapter 7

I am **very very** sorry that it took me so long to update.  
My muse was off chasing HP plot bunnies for awhile and then when I tryed to get back to this fic I had a horrid case of writer's block.  
A thousand and one apologies.  
Note: from now on I will be answering reviews via email--I promise to reply to all of them.

The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson: Chapter 7

The next morning at breakfast, Teal'c told Daniel that he needed to go into work that day. Hearing this news, young Daniel was very excited. Finally, he could get his questions answered! A wide grin was on his face as he got ready, positively bouncing with anticipation.

It was only after they were in the car and traveling up the road that Daniel got the upsetting news that he would not in fact be joining Teal'c at work--instead he would be going to something called 'daycare'. The grin quickly vanished from his face and a feeling of dread washed over him.

Daniel suddenly felt trapped by his seatbelt. He didn't want to go to daycare. He wanted to go with Teal'c. A whole new set of questions swirled in his mind. What if something happened to Teal'c while he was gone? What if he never came back? What if Teal'c forgot about him? And just what was 'daycare' anyway?

Daniel could not understand why he couldn't just go to work with Teal'c. After all, he had always gone to work with his parents. Tears prickled his eyes and ran silently down his face. He did not want to be left alone.

And so it was with much trepidation that Daniel walked inside the daycare. The whole room in which it was held seemed to be done up in the same four colors: red, blue, yellow, and green. He clung to Teal'c as his wide eyes took in the alphabet rug, the bright colored posters, the shelves of toys, the miniature sets of tables and chairs...and the group children sitting at them. And whole new wave of anxiety washed over him.

He had of course occasionally played with children from nearby villages but the majority of his time had been spent in the company of adults. Not to mention that there had been nothing at all like this in Egypt. The brightly colored room of the daycare was completely foreign to him. A sidelong glance at his guardian reassured him that this was as new to Teal'c as it was to him.

A woman approached them and introduced herself as Miss Linda. As she talked with Teal'c Daniel tried to reassure himself that everything would be fine. He could stay here for a little while while Teal'c went to work. Teal'c squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and Daniel let out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding. He _could_ do this.

Then he saw Teal'c walk toward the doorway. A wave of panic washed over him. What if Teal'c walked out that doorway and he never ever saw him again? What if he disappeared like his parents had?

Daniel decided that he changed his mind: he couldn't do this after all. Why couldn't he just go into work with Teal'c? Or if children weren't allowed there then why couldn't Teal'c just stay home with him? They could invite Sam and Jack over and play with Sothis. He bet Sothis really missed him. Why did they have to leave Sothis all alone? Yes, it really was best if they all just went home.

Daniel opened his mouth to tell this to Teal'c, but it was too late--he had already gone. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared at the empty doorway. Teal'c had left him. What if he never came back?

Miss Linda came over and told him that 'Murray' would be back for him this afternoon. She told him that they were going to do lots of fun things today and led him over to a seat at a small blue table.

Daniel sniffed and abruptly stopped his tears as he glanced puzzled at the contents of the tabletop. There was an assortment of neon-colored plastic utensils, molds, and cookie cutters and each child had a blob of an equally brightly-colored substance.

"What is that?" Daniel asked curiously.

This garnered him an incredulous look from the pig-tailed girl beside him.  
"Don't cha know what Playdough is??"

Daniel shook his head.

"It's fun!" She said squeezing the Playdough in her hands. "I'm 'Manda," she told him pointing to a nametag on her shirt.

Glancing down Daniel was surprised to see that he too had a nametag on. Taking a deep breath he turned to her and said, "Hello, my name is Daniel."

"You talk funny," 'Manda' said, crinkling up her nose.

Daniel visibly deflated. Hadn't he said it right? He had practiced with his parents proper American introductions and phrases and had been so proud to remember them all. It had worked with Murray. Maybe he should have held out his hand for her to shake?

He tried that, but his hand was ignored. He felt his cheeks heat up and turned his attention to his own Playdough.

Before he knew it, it was time to clean-up the Playdough and move to the alphabet carpet. Once there, they sang a song that he didn't know (though he was reassured to see that most of the other children didn't seem to know it either), talked about the weather, and went over the calendar.

Next, they played a game called 'Farmer in the Dell'. Daniel was glad that Miss Linda explained the game first though even then he was a bit confused until they actually played. It turned out that he really liked the game and even got a turn in the middle. He was disappointed when it was time to move on to something else.

At snack time Miss Linda brought out a food that many of the children were excited about but Daniel had never seen before. They were small fish-shaped crackers that turned out to be quite tasty.

There were three other children at his table: Manda and Chris and Kira who were brother and sister.

"Our daddy's pickin' us up today," Chris said. "Who's pickin' you up?"

"...Murray." Daniel felt proud that he remembered not to call him Teal'c.

"Who's Murray?" Chris asked.

Young Daniel bit his lip. That was a tough question...who was 'Murray'? There were so many things that Murray was to him that he couldn't put them into words. 'Murray' was...Teal'c...his Teal'c. And Teal'c was safety and comfort and protection and so much more. ...But he didn't think that that was what Chris was asking.

Teal'c wasn't his father, uncle, grandfather, or cousin. Teal'c was his...what was the word? Daniel scrunched up his nose as he thought. He knew there was an English word that fit Teal'c perfectly--he even knew that it began with a 'g'. But he could not think of it and so settled for:  
"He takes care of me."

"Like a daddy?" Kira asked.

Young Daniel furrowed his brow. He hadn't thought of it like that. It did fit though.

"Why do you call your daddy, Murray?" Manda asked. "Is he your new daddy? My mommy and daddy got a daborse when I was really little and now I have a new daddy. I call him Daddy Rick," she informed him.

Daniel couldn't really see himself calling Teal'c 'Daddy Murray' or even 'Daddy Teal'c'. And he couldn't just call him 'daddy'--he already had a daddy...

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Miss Linda telling them that it was time to clean-up snack. They then went outside where there was a large colorful plastic structure with ladders and slides. But that wasn't what captured young Daniel's attention. What he headed straight for was the sandbox beside it.

Right away he started to pull off his shoes--but was told, much to his disappointment, that he had to keep them on. So he settled for running the sand through his fingers instead. He hadn't realized how much he had missed sand until now. He closed his eyes and imagined that he was back in Egypt. The familiar scent of hot sand, the feel of it beneath his bare feet, the sight of the unending stretch of it before him--distorted slightly by the haze of the heat. The familiar presence of the pyramids-- nearly always in the background, the...

A loud clanging noise brought him out of his thoughts with a jolt. Miss Linda was ringing a bell. It was time to go in. Why must they stop so soon? He cast one last longing look at the sandbox as he went back inside.

Daniel let out a sigh as he sat back down at a table to color. He didn't understand America where they kept their sand in boxes. Though he did wish that he had a box of sand for his own...

"Why didn't you color inside the lines?" Chris asked him, looking over at Daniel's paper.

Daniel flushed. He had been coloring his paper in the different colors of the sunrise. He had noticed the dark black outline that made up the form of a dog, but hadn't really thought much about it.

"I didn't know I was supposed to," he finally admitted and ducked his head. He let out another sigh and painstakingly began to color inside the lines toward the bottom of the paper where he hadn't yet colored. It was just one more thing that he did not understand.

Afterwards, Miss Linda read them a story. It was a very exciting story about animals in a jungle. Daniel was fascinated by it as it reminded him a bit of a story that he had heard before. When Miss Linda finished young Daniel started to tell her about the other story that he had heard. He got more and more excited as he told it. He was partway through when he stiffened as he noticed that the other children were staring at him and that a couple were laughing.

"I'm sorry; Daniel," Miss Linda said gently, "but we can't understand you, honey."

Daniel flushed as he realized what had happened. He hadn't even realized that he had been speaking in Arabic. That was the language that flowed most easily from his tongue. The language that he had grown up surrounded by. English seemed to be so much harder to grasp. And now it seemed he didn't know the language nearly as well as he believed he had. There was so much that he didn't know how to say...so much that he didn't understand.

Tears pricked at Daniel's eyes. He didn't belong here at all. Everything he did seemed to be wrong. Why couldn't he have just stayed in Egypt? He couldn't ever remember the children there teasing him.

Daniel was vaguely aware of Miss Linda there trying to comfort him, but he could not be consoled. He didn't belong here and he wondered if he ever would. It was all too different. Too new. He didn't understand it here and no one here seemed to understand him either. There was nothing so frustrating as not being understood. He wanted his mommy and daddy...he wanted his _Teal'c_.

And then Teal'c was there, lifting him up into his arms.

"What is wrong, youngDaniel?"

"I forgot to speak in English and I didn't stay in the lines and they keep sand in a box and I didn't know about Playdough," he whispered into his shoulder.

"What is 'play doe'?"

Daniel felt a rush of gratitude. A smile crept on his face and he clung even more tightly to Teal'c as they walked to the car. Finally here was someone who understood.

Years later Daniel would state that he didn't know what he would have done if it wasn't for Teal'c. It meant so much, he would say, that there was someone there who understood how hard it was to adjust to a whole new culture.

As Teal'c tucked him into bed that night, Daniel remembered something from earlier that he had been thinking about all day.

"Teal'c?" he whispered.

"Yes, youngDaniel?"

"Can I call you papa?"

"I would be honored, youngDaniel."

Young Daniel had smile on his face that night as he drifted off to sleep.

--------

Daniel's answer to the question 'why didn't you color inside the lines?' was the real response given by a four-year-old that I know.

I hope I still have some readers left after such a long wait! (again, my apologies!)  
Please review and let me know that you haven't given up on me.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter:)

The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson: Chapter 8

The next morning young Daniel and Teal'c quietly worked on a puzzle together after breakfast. Daniel scratched Sothis behind the ears as he tried to figure out a way to phrase a question that had been weighing heavily on his mind. He bit his lip and opened his mouth, but what came out was an entirely different question.

"You don't have to go to work today?"

"I do not, youngDaniel." He paused as he studied the small boy in front of him. "I can see that something is troubling you. If there is a question on your mind you need only ask it."

Daniel seemed to debate it a moment more before asking: "When you first came here...to Earth...did you find it...confusing? Was it very different from your own culture?"

"In some ways they are very alike but in many others they are indeed very different. I find some parts of Earth culture...confusing and there are still many things that I do not understand."

"Like why they keep their sand in boxes?" Daniel asked mischievously.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed with a slight quirk of his lips.

The two had discussed this strange custom at length the previous evening. Neither one could make much sense of it. While the reasoning behind it still intrigued Daniel (he made a note to himself to question both Jack and Sam when next he saw them) he had been relieved that he wasn't the only one who just didn't get it.

The smile on Daniel's face turned into a worried frown as he contemplated whether or not to ask him the next question.

"You may ask anything that is on your mind," Teal'c prompted.

"Is it hard for you to...blend in...to act like you belong?" Daniel asked with worried eyes.

"No one is asking you to be anything that you are not," he answered astutely.

"But you have to be...you have to cover your forehead and have people call you 'Murray' and make sure no one sees your symbiote and not talk about Chulak or other planets..."

"Indeed, youngDaniel, there are things I must not speak of but no one expects me to change who I am--nor would I let them. There are unfortunately secrets that I must conceal from many but that does not change the way I act--only what I say."

"But the other children laughed, papa, because I wasn't like them," Daniel whispered, bowing his head so his eyes looked only on Sothis.

Daniel heard the scrape of a chair as Teal'c got up and kneeled in front of him. Gently, Teal'c lifted his chin so that Daniel's tear-filled eyes focused on his.

"I am my own person DanielJackson...as are you. Never let anyone change you into what they would have you be. Their behavior showed only their ignorance."

Daniel threw his arms around Teal'c and gave him a relieved hug.

Years later, Daniel would recall that that was the first time that Teal'c had ever called him by his full name. He would say that he later discovered that Teal'c only ever called him that when he wanted to put a special emphasis on what he was saying. Usually, he would call him 'youngDaniel'. Occasionally, he would also affectionately refer to him as 'myson'. But when Teal'c called him 'DanielJackson' he knew to pay especially close attention to what was being said.

The two were just finishing up their puzzle when there was a knock at the door.

Standing at the door was a madly grinning Jack with a fishing pole in hand. Behind him was a bemused looking Sam. Both were casually dressed and Daniel eyed the two curiously.

"Well, since you talked the General into giving us the day off, T, we are going fishing!" Jack informed them.

"Indeed?" Teal'c replied with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"Yep!" Jack said undeterred. "We're gonna go up to my cabin--it'll be great!"

Teal'c turned to Daniel and asked: "Would you like to go fishing, youngDaniel?"

Daniel nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Sothis too?" he asked.

"Of course Sothis too!" Jack answered.

It took only a few minutes for them to get ready and then three adults, one boy, one dog, and a few bags were all packed into a car and they were off.

They were hardly down the street when Daniel turned to Sam and asked;  
"Why do they keep sand in boxes?"

Caught off guard, Sam inquired if this was a riddle.

Daniel shook his head.

"Well..." Sam began unsure of exactly what he was asking. "Some people might keep sand in boxes to store it or to ship it to somewhere else."

Daniel gave her a puzzled look.

"Not what you were looking for, huh?" Sam asked then inquired, "Where did you see sand in a box?"

"At daycare. They had a large square box filled with brown sand...the box was short and made of wood...and the sand was different than the sand in Egypt," Daniel explained, making a box with his hands to illustrate.

"Oh, you mean a sandbox!" she said in realization.

"That's what I said...a box filled with sand."

Up front, Jack snorted.

"No," Sam smiled, "It's _called_ a sandbox. They're for kids to play in-- building sand castles or just digging."

"Oh...why do they do that?" Daniel asked curiously. "There weren't any sandboxes in Egypt."

"No, there wouldn't be...I guess because they already have their own sand..." Sam answered.

"Oh...there is a lot of sand in Egypt...and I haven't seen any sand here--only the sand that was in the box... I can see why people would want some sand of their own--even if it is just the kind that's kept in boxes," Daniel reasoned. "But why would they want to build castles out of it? I don't think you could live in a castle made out of sand."

Another snort was heard from the front and Sam blinked.

"They don't build real castles--just small models of them."

"Oh...why?"

"Ummm...just for fun I guess."

"But why castles?" Daniel asked confused. "Wouldn't sand pyramids make more sense?"

"I...never really thought about it before," Sam said faintly.

"Oh...Jack do you know?" he asked turning his attention to Jack.

"It's just the way things are, Danny," Jack answered with a laugh.

"Daniel," he corrected.

Sam eyed him oddly. "You're four, right, Daniel?"

"Five," Daniel corrected holding up the corresponding number of fingers.

"Right," she said faintly.

The rest of the trip went by uneventfully.  
Finally, they pulled up in front of the cabin and Jack asked Daniel whether he had ever been fishing before.

Daniel nodded, but when Jack handed him a pole, he it eyed it doubtfully.

"Don't worry, Danny, I can show you how." Jack reassured him, patting him on the shoulder.

Daniel sighed at Jack's shortening of his name then said, "I know how...but..." He bit his lip as he searched for the right way to say what he wanted to say. He didn't want to embarrass Jack, so he motioned him to bend down.

"This rod...won't it break? It's not very big," he whispered. "Maybe you brought the wrong one?"

Jack looked at him in amusement. "It'll be fine, Danny."

Daniel still didn't look convinced, but followed the three adults, pole in hand. Turns out, he needn't have worried as none of them caught any fish anyway.

"There are no fish in your lake, O'Neill," Teal'c commented, picking up a tired Daniel, as they left.

Young Daniel drifted off to sleep, Sothis curled at his side, as the car pulled away from the cabin. He had a lot of fun at the lake and felt the day had been perfect and as they drove home, he dreamed about castles made of sand and lakes without fish. Little did he know that the following day would turn out to be a nightmare...  
-  
Sorry it's so short, but I didn't want to keep everyone waiting again.  
Oh! and actual plot in the next chapter!  
Please review and let me know what you think.  
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	9. Chapter 9

The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson: Chapter 9

Things were going far too well for young Daniel Jackson. He should have known that it wouldn't last. The previous day had been far too perfect--had in fact gone without a hitch... You may think nothing of that as you yourself probably have had numerous good days all in a row. But this is Daniel Jackson that we are talking about.

You see, Daniel Jackson, through no fault of his own, had a habit for attracting trouble. No one knows quite why this is (though there has been much speculation), but the fact remains that trouble always seems to find him. While the death of his parents was by far the most recent and the worst, it was not the first unfortunate thing to happen to him (nor, unfortunately, would it be the last).

For instance, the day that he was born, both Daniel and his mother had been trapped in a cave-in. Then there was an incident with a poisonous snake when he was very very small. And of course the time that he had taken a tumble down a well. (Yes, people actually do fall down wells, though it is not that common--and it was just Daniel's luck to be one of them.) There are of course other examples, though these are by far the most memorable of them.

Years later, Daniel Jackson would deny being a 'trouble magnet', but would reluctantly agree that he had had more then his share of bad luck. He would also point out that he had had more then his share of good luck too (usually in the form of helping him to get out of the bad--he would reluctantly admit).

However, the fact remains that Daniel Jackson had gone nearly a week without anything happening--and fate was about to correct that oversight.

The day started out ordinarily enough. Once again, Teal'c had to go back to work and young Daniel had to go back to daycare. After a bit of a whine over breakfast cereal and a solemn promise on Teal'c part to pick him on time, Daniel allowed himself to be buckled in and driven without fuss to the daycare.

However, once at the daycare, Daniel had a strange prickly feeling wash over him. Perhaps it was a whisper of what was to come or maybe it was just reluctance at being left 'alone'. But whatever it was, it made Daniel quietly ask Teal'c if they could please just stay at home today. He was told firmly that they could not but that they would see each other soon. Then Teal'c was gone and Daniel was left standing in a brightly colored room full of happily chattering children and feeling wholly out of place.

After an uneventful morning of finger-painting, stories, and songs, Daniel had completely forgotten his earlier apprehension. His second day of daycare was going much better then his first. When encountering a new activity, he had taken to watching the other children first, and imitating them. As such, he did not make the errors he had previously. He had also made many new friends: Chris and Kira and also Jessika, Evan, and Abby. Manda had also taken a liking to him--though frankly Daniel was a bit frightened of her attentions. (For example, during play centers, Manda had declared that Daniel would be the 'daddy' and she would be the 'mommy' and they would live together forever and ever and have lots of babies. Then she had demanded that he go get food while she handed out invitations to their party. Needless to say, Daniel was a bit bewildered.)

Then, all too soon it was time for recess. Once again he headed straight for the sandbox. Manda attempted to drag him over to the slide, but he was not to be deterred. That little patch of sand was familiar and comforting--a reminder of a home that he desperately missed. As he sat sifting the sand through his fingers and imagining being back in Egypt a sound brought his attention jolting back to the present.

But, it was only Manda, come to join him. Sitting a bit to close to him, she prattled on about anything and everything that came to her mind as she messily dug in the sand with a bright red shovel. Daniel let out a sigh of annoyance as his imaginary Egypt disappeared in a puff of dust. He didn't know why she had to bother him in _his_ box of sand. He felt that the red shovel didn't belong here, nor did the bright orange bucket that she picked up next or the small yellow bulldozer that sat beside her. He felt a spark of anger that she had ruined his one spot of home. He was just about to tell her to go away, when a noise caught his attention.

It sounded like a dog and he felt a thrill of excitement at the thought that perhaps Sothis had followed him to daycare. And so, he went to investigate and didn't even mind that Manda had gotten up to join him.

The sound was coming from behind the gate and as he approached he felt that something wasn't quite right about all this but nevertheless he kept going--excited to see Sothis again. As he swung open the gate (with some difficulty) he immediately realized his folly in ignoring that feeling. For behind the gate wasn't Sothis or any dog at all.

He tried to push a startled Manda back inside the gate so that he could go back inside as well. But it was too late as a large arm reached down and grabbed him. A hand clamped over his mouth and he was unable to scream. He fought and kicked but it was no use against his much stronger captor. He heard Manda cry out and then a sweet sticky scent filled his nose and he knew no more.

Daniel awakened in a small, windowless room. He was quite alone and brought his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them as he wondered how he had come to be there. He remembered hearing the dog--then scrunched up his face as he recalled that it hadn't really been a dog at all...or perhaps the men that had taken him had hurt the dog too... Tears pricked his eyes as he hoped it hadn't been Sothis after all. Then he remembered Manda. She wasn't there with him and he wondered if she too had been taken.

It seemed he was there a very long time until the door, that he hadn't even noticed was there, opened. They took him into another room and sat him down on a wooden chair. The chair was too big for him and his feet dangled off the edge. Daniel noticed that he shoelace had come untied and reached down to tie it only to have his hand slapped back. He turned wide startled eyes to his captures and they then started to rapidly ask him questions. Daniel shook his head as he honestly didn't understand over half of what was being said. Then one of them reached out and shook him by the shoulders causing Daniel to cry out. As tears rolled down his cheeks, he called out for his papa, his breaths coming in hiccupping gasps. A slap to his cheek caused a stunned Daniel to stop crying and then the questions came again. Daniel told them that he didn't know and pleaded with them to let him go home--first in English, then in Arabic, and finally in Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and Dutch.

But his pleas fell on deaf ears and after what seemed like hours later he found himself thrown back into the small windowless room. By this time he was tired, hungry, and very frightened. He wished that Teal'c would come to get him. Then he thought that perhaps the men had taken Teal'c too. He started crying as he wondered if he would ever see his papa again. Then exhausted he fell into a troubled sleep.

The next morning he awoke to find a sandwich and a glass of water waiting for him. After finishing both off, he sat in a corner and wondered when his papa would come to get him. Then the door opened and he was allowed to use the bathroom before being plunked down on the wooden chair once again. Tears rolled down his face as the questions started again. Did he know where his parents kept their important papers? Did they keep journals? Did they ever keep any of the artifacts that they found--and if so where were they? Did his father tell him why they were in New York? What did he know about Project Blue Book? Did his parents have anything shipped here before their arrival? Did they ever find anything unusual on their digs? Did they meet with anyone before coming here or at the airport or at the hotel?

The questions kept coming and coming and all Daniel could do was shake his head and tell them that he didn't know. Tears streamed down his face and by now all his answers were coming out in Arabic. He didn't know what these men wanted and he just wanted to go home.

Much, much, later he was once again back in the small room. Terribly frightened and homesick, he hugged his legs and sang softly to himself:  
"Mama zamanha gaya,  
Gaya baedeh shiwaya,  
Gayba al'ab wa hagat,  
Gayba maha shanta..."

Unbeknownst to Daniel Jackson, a frantic search was going on. Noticing the commotion at the far end of the yard, Miss Linda had discovered Manda unconscious and, after a quick headcount, young Daniel missing. Two phone calls later had the daycare swarming with police, frantic parents, and military personal.

People were questioned, leads were followed, and favors were called in. Unfortunately, no one had seen anything and nothing had turned up. Just when all hope seemed lost, something extraordinary happened. It was so unlikely and what followed was so very lucky that it could have only ever happened in conjunction with Daniel Jackson.

It was Sothis who was the one who uncovered the first clue. Sothis had taken to following Teal'c around since Daniel had gone missing and was with them when they were scouring the crime scene for the seventh time. She had been sniffing around when she had discovered something all but hidden in a nearby bush. After a bit of digging she proudly presented her prize to a startled Jack. It was clip with a tag on it of the kind that was given to 'authorized personal only'. Unbeknownst to anyone the clip had flown off one of the attackers when Daniel had gotten in a well-placed kick. It had landed all but hidden deep inside the bush. Around that same time Manda had remembered that the man that grabbed her had had a long scar on his arm that she had noticed when she bit his hand.

After a few calls, a few more favors called in, and a few dead ends, they finally discovered the building where Daniel was being held. Unfortunately, someone had also tipped off the kidnappers for when they arrived they found the building cleared of anything and everything...except, thankfully, for one small boy that they found huddled in a corner behind a locked door.

As Teal'c walked out of the building, a tired and tear-stained Daniel Jackson in his arms, he felt both sadness and guilt at letting harm come to his young charge. Daniel, on the other hand, just felt gladness that his papa had finally come for him and relief that the ordeal was finally over. Neither one gave a thought to the motive behind the kidnapping...or the repercussions that would come from it. For unbeknownst to all, the incident had set off a chain of events that would change everything...

----  
Note: The song that Daniel sings is 'Mommy is Coming', an Arabic children's song I found on the 'Mama Lisa's World' website.

This wasn't exactly what I had in mind for the ending of this chapter, but ah well.  
Please let me know what you think. Feedback is always greatly apreciated!


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